Amusement parks are a great place to eat some food, hang out with family or just ride a roller coaster. But they are not normally the place where you find the next country music superstars. But that is what happened for Diamond Rio. Started in 1982, they were the main band at Opryland U.S.A., a country music themed amusement park. After a few years there, they were ready to spread their wings. It took a number of years bouncing around Nashville (dealing with everything from injuries to “Star Search”) before they finally were able to finalize a record deal with Arista Nashville in 1990. That signing eventually lead to them getting a long string of hits, receiving awards from the ACMs, CMAs and Grammys, and becoming one of the biggest country groups of the 1990’s. The last award to place on their mantle would be from the Country Music Hall Of Fame.

Some people take a while to learn their musical skills, but it comes a bit easier when you are the son of a guitar playing father and a singing mother. Claiming to be able to sing harmony at three years old, Joe tried his hand at a music career beginning in the late 1970’s. After a number of setbacks, he finally got the ball rolling in the mid-1980’s when he moved to Nashville and got his foot in the door with song writing. Getting artists like Holly Dunn, Ricky Van Shelton and Alabama to record his songs then helped him to getting his own recording contract in 1990. His first song going to number 1 set off a string of classic songs for over a decade. By the time his radio career faded in the early 2000’s, he had become an ACM nominee and Grammy winner. Unfortunately passing away from covid in 2020, his legacy still lives on in newer artists like Jason Aldean and Chris Young praising him as an inspiration. That legacy may someday lead to a Hall Of Fame plaque.

The “Hall of Fame Season” has come to an end with the announcement of Rock and Roll Hall of Fame Class, and it is the largest class in recent memory.

The Cleveland based institution elected Missy Elliott, Willie Nelson, Sheryl Crow, Rage Against the Machine, Kate Bush, George Michael and The Spinners. Chaka Khan, Al Kooper and Bernie Taupin enter via the Musical Excellence Award. Link Wray and DJ Kool Herc will receive the Musical Influence Award and Don Cornelius will get the Ahmet Ertegun Award.

Four of the elected members, Elliott, Nelson, Crow and Michael enter on their first appearance on the ballot. Missy Elliott becomes the first female rapper inducted, and Nelson capped off an incredible week, first by turning 90 and now with this induction, though unlike Elliott, who only became eligible, has been eligible for decades. George Michael won the fan vote, continuing the trend of fan vote winners entering the Hall.

RATM enters on their fourth attempt, and their induction should help other Alternative acts from the 1990s. The Spinners also enter on their fourth try, and have been eligible since 1986. Kate Bush, who has been enjoying a renaissance was also nominated twice before.

Failing to gain entry were A Tribe Called Quest, Cyndi Lauper, New Order/Joy Division, Iron Maiden, White Stripes, Soundgarden and Warren Zevon.

We will begin work on revising our Notinhalloffame Rock List for next year.

We here at Notinhalloffame.com would like to congratulate the impending members of the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame.

It is with great pleasure that we announce the third annual Notinhalloffame MLB Regular Season Cup, and let us explain how this works:

With every single regular season game, we anointed the best five players in the game with descending points, 5-4-3-2-1.

We knew the following:

-       The top players for the MLB NIHOF Cup are not always the best in the league, as injuries keep players out of games, and a premium on staying healthy can help pile up points. It also does not hurt to be a top player on an average or mediocre team, as they can amass Cup points easier that elite players on loaded squads.

-       In Baseball, it is more common than in Basketball and Hockey for a player to accrue points with a single Home Run in a game, and overall favors position players. Starting Pitchers have a hard time with approximately 30-35 Stats and throwing less innings than in previous generations. This also is true for closers, which is not made for this process.

-       Please remember, that this is NOT necessarily who we think were the best players this year, and does not reflect overall consistency. Treat this the way did, as a fun process and more of a compilation of temporary statistical domination.

At present 619 Players have generated at least one Cup Point.

So, MLB players! Get your agents to work winning this into your contracts!

This is the first update, with standings as of May 1.

1. Rafael Devers: Boston Red Sox, Third Base:

39 Cup Points, 29 Games, 1.35 Cup Points per Game, 10 Home Runs, 27 Runs Batted In, 0 SB, .232/.285./.563, 1.1 bWAR.

Devers is a mild surprise at number one, as although the two-time All-Star is leading the American League in Home Runs (10), he is not currently in the top ten in OPS. Saying that, power is huge in Cup Points, and he is also at present third in RBIs (27). This will trump Batting Average every time here.

2. Shohei Ohtani: Los Angeles Angels, Designated Hitter & Pitcher:

38 Cup Points, 29 Games, 1.35 Cup Points per Game, 7 Home Runs, 18 Runs Batted In, 5 SB, .294/.355./.541, 2.1 bWAR & 4-0, 1.85 ERA, 46 SO, 0.824 WHIP.

The Notinhalloffame Cup is built for Ohtani, who can compile points in two different avenues; the only one who can do so. The Japanese superstar led his nation to a World Cup, and right now his Angels have a winning record. Ohtani is off to his best pitching start, and he is his usual self with the bat. We can’t imagine Ohtani not leading this by June.

3 (TIE). Patrick Wisdom: Chicago Cubs, Third Base:

34 Cup Points, 25 Games, 1.36 Cup Points per Game, 10 Home Runs, 20 Runs Batted In, 0 SB, .250/.324/.541, 1.0 bWAR.

Wisdom is the current National League leader in Total Bases (59) and Extra Base Hits (15) and his second in Home Runs (10). This is best start of Wisdom’s career.

3 (TIE). Mike Trout: Los Angeles Angels, Outfield:

34 Cup Points, 27 Games, 1.26 Cup Points per Game, 7 Home Runs, 18 Runs Batted In, 0 SB, .308/.395/.589, 1.2 bWAR.

Trout remains the baseball player we all know and love and the Angels are the first team to rank two players. The Centerfielder is currently fourth in Home Runs in the AL (7).

3 (TIE). Max Muncy: Los Angeles Dodgers, First Base:

34 Cup Points, 25 Games, 1.36 Cup Points per Game, 11 Home Runs, 22 Runs Batted In, 1 SB, .238/.408/.563, 1.4 bWAR.

Muncy is only batting .238, but his OPS is 1.070 which is leading the NL. He is also at the top of the leaderboard in Home Runs (11) and Slugging (.863).

6 (TIE). Ronald Acuna: Atlanta Braves, Outfield:

33 Cup Points, 27 Games, 1.22 Cup Points per Game, 4 Home Runs, 14 Runs Batted In, 13 SB, .352/.440/.545, 1.7 bWAR.

Acuna leads all NL batters in Runs Scored (23), Stolen Bases (13) and Total Bases (59), and is currently second in Batting Average (.352) and On Base Percentage (.440).

6 (TIE). Yordan Alvarez: Houston Astros, Designated Hitter & Outfield:

33 Cup Points, 27 Games, 1.22 Cup Points per Game, 6 Home Runs, 27 Runs Batted In, 0 SB, .272/.388/.543, 0.8 bWAR.

Alvarez has cooled off a bit after a blistering start, but is still third in RBIs (27), and is leading the NL in both Win Probability Added (2.3) and Championship Win Probability Added (1.3).

6 (TIE). Matt Chapman: Toronto Blue Jays, Third Base:

33 Cup Points, 27 Games, 1.22 Cup Points per Game, 5 Home Runs, 21 Runs Batted In, 1 SB, .384/.465/.567, 2.0 bWAR.

Chapman is having the best start to his career, and is currently first in Hits (38), Doubles (15), Batting Average (.384), OBP (.445), OPS+ (219), bWAR for Position Players (2.0) and Total Bases (68) and is second in OPS.

9 (TIE). Cody Bellinger: Chicago Cubs, Outfield:

31 Cup Points, 24 Games, 1.29 Cup Points per Game, 7 Home Runs, 18 Runs Batted In, 4 SB, .297/.371/.604, 1.5 bWAR.

Is Cody back? The 2019 MVP faltered in his last three seasons as a Dodger, but he playing excellent baseball at the moment and emerging from the grave that many pundits dug for him. He is fourth in bWAR for NL Position Players (1.5), fifth in Slugging (.604) and sixth in OPS (.976).

9 (TIE). Pete Alonso: New York Mets, First Base:

31 Cup Points, 27 Games, 1.22 Cup Points per Game, 10 Home Runs, 25 Runs Batted In, 0 SB, .257/.328/.562, 0.7 bWAR.

Alonso is the NL leader in RBIs (25), a stat he led last year with 121. With 10 Home Runs already this year, he is on pace to have to his second straight 40-plus tater year.

9 (TIE). Randy Arozarena: Tampa Bay Rays, Outfield:

31 Cup Points, 27 Games, 1.22 Cup Points per Game, 7 Home Runs, 28 Runs Batted In, 3 SB, .327/.392/.573, 1.2 bWAR.

It is still very early, but Arozarena is on pace to have the best year of his life. At present, he is fourth in Batting Average (.327) and second in Total Bases (63).

9 (TIE). Marcus Semien: Texas Rangers, Shortstop:

31 Cup Points, 28 Games, 1.11 Cup Points per Game, 5 Home Runs, 23 Runs Batted In, 1 SB, .268/.346/.455, 1.3 bWAR.

Semien is currently first in Runs Scored (25) in the AL, and is tenth in Hits (30).

Our next update will be the morning of May 7.